Cheer for the Winning Team

01/31/14

Whether you’re going for the Broncos or Seahawks, love the game itself or just tune in for the commercials, the Super Bowl is an amazing event. An estimated 100 million people will watch the game this year. But I already know the winning team.

TEAM NFL is made up of players from different teams in the National Football League who are winning where it matters most: in the classroom. TEAM NFL is a program stemming from United Way and the NFL’s 40-year partnership that is committed to cutting America’s dropout rate in half by 2018. United Way TEAM NFL is a group of civic-minded, college-educated NFL players committed to helping United Way in its effort to recruit volunteer readers, tutors and mentors. Each player is charged with recruiting 3,000 volunteers, and their recruitment efforts are tracked here.

Research proves that caring volunteers working with students of all ages have the power to help kids boost academic achievement and put young people on track for a bright future. Volunteers make the difference in schools that succeed. TEAM NFL’s goal is to recruit 99,000 volunteer readers, tutors and mentors. Will you help the team pull off the ultimate play?

Sometimes kids just need someone who believes in them. Volunteers give the individual attention kids sometimes need. The difference between a student graduating or dropping out could be you.

No matter who you are cheering for on Super Bowl Sunday, we all win when a child succeeds in school and grows up to be a productive adult who gives back to the community. Help a player on TEAM NFL reach his volunteer recruitment goal by pledging to become a volunteer reader, tutor or mentor here. Or join an even larger team of volunteers by pledging here.

Either way, I’ll be cheering for you, and the nearly 300,000 others who have taken the pledge. Go Team!